A reassuring story, with richly immersive illustrations.
A special occasion ramps up big feelings.
It’s Little Hedgehog’s birthday. Big Hedgehog gives the youngster a splendid red balloon, and the pair set off through the forest, hoping to share their happiness with their friends. No one is home. Anxiety and disappointment replace the thrill of Little Hedgehog’s birthday. Even Little Hedgehog’s beloved pal Ladybird is “nowhere to be seen.” Attentive readers will have spotted clues all along: The owl family fly high overhead carrying bunting; Mouse wears a red party hat and pulls a string of lights; a small frog totes a beribboned box—all unnoticed by the hedgehogs. Upset that the others have seemingly forgotten about the big day, Little Hedgehog sobs; Big Hedgehog attempts to comfort the little one. The return home is sad—until they meet Ladybird, who has been waiting for them for a long time. It’s a surprise party! No one had overlooked the day: “Everyone was there.” Songs, cake, games, and gifts help make “the best birthday party ever,” the celebration ending only when the friends are asleep in a heap. Teckentrup’s familiar stylistic elements—textured surfaces, intense color highlights, and beautiful nature details—are set against a subtle change of background from dawn to night. Stuart’s translation from German is deft and unobtrusive.
A reassuring story, with richly immersive illustrations. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: March 3, 2026
ISBN: 9783791376431
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Prestel Junior
Review Posted Online: March 23, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2026
A reassuring riff on embracing imperfections.
A young rabbit frets about her upcoming violin performance in Icelandic singer-songwriter Laufey’s literary debut.
Mei Mei’s dream—“to share her music with the world”—is about to come true. She’s having her very first recital, complete with an orchestra, at the H’Opera House. But the day before the concert, Mei Mei is racked with anxiety. What if she plays a bum note in front of everyone? Sure enough, the worst happens mid-performance: She hits a clinker. But by remembering her mom’s reassuring sentiments from the night before (“Feel the wind…find the notes to make it right”), Mei Mei summons the strength to soldier on, and “wrong notes become right. Dissonance becomes beautiful.” At times, it all feels more like a resilience parable than a story, and the writing can be precious (“The flutter of butterflies wakes Mei Mei from her slumber”). Still, the message is solid, bolstered by O’Hara’s pencil and watercolor illustrations, which are plush-toy soft—fitting, as even prior to this book’s publication, a stuffed Mei Mei has been for sale at Grammy winner Laufey’s website. The tale features an all-animal, all-adorable cast, and endearingly, the art betrays no hint of modern times. A standout image presents Mei Mei onstage, temporarily incapacitated by her mistake and imagining her fellow musicians and their instruments with the color-blasted menace of an expressionist painting.
A reassuring riff on embracing imperfections. (author’s note, glossary) (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: April 21, 2026
ISBN: 9798217051748
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: Jan. 19, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2026
Not enough tricks to make this a treat.
Another holiday title (How To Catch the Easter Bunny by Adam Wallace, illustrated by Elkerton, 2017) sticks to the popular series’ formula.
Rhyming four-line verses describe seven intrepid trick-or-treaters’ efforts to capture the witch haunting their Halloween. Rhyming roadblocks with toolbox is an acceptable stretch, but too often too many words or syllables in the lines throw off the cadence. Children familiar with earlier titles will recognize the traps set by the costume-clad kids—a pulley and box snare, a “Tunnel of Tricks.” Eventually they accept her invitation to “floss, bump, and boogie,” concluding “the dance party had hit the finale at last, / each dancing monster started to cheer! / There’s no doubt about it, we have to admit: / This witch threw the party of the year!” The kids are diverse, and their costumes are fanciful rather than scary—a unicorn, a dragon, a scarecrow, a red-haired child in a lab coat and bow tie, a wizard, and two space creatures. The monsters, goblins, ghosts, and jack-o'-lanterns, backgrounded by a turquoise and purple night sky, are sufficiently eerie. Still, there isn’t enough originality here to entice any but the most ardent fans of Halloween or the series. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Not enough tricks to make this a treat. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Aug. 2, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-72821-035-3
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: May 10, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2022
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